Ryan Wedding, 44, competed for Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin before being accused of building an international criminal organisation that allegedly trafficked cocaine worth billions
Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been taken into custody following his indictment on multiple charges by US law enforcement and his placement on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list.
Two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation have confirmed to NBC News that Wedding, an alleged cocaine trafficker, is now in custody.
Wedding faced indictment on numerous charges, including murder and money laundering, linked to an international criminal organisation. Last year, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
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Patel branded Wedding the “modern-day Pablo Escobar” after he established an extensive network and criminal enterprise, reports the Mirror US.
It’s understood that Wedding, 44, had been hiding in Mexico whilst continuing to participate in drug trafficking, murder, and other criminal activities. His criminal organisation allegedly generates an annual profit of a billion dollars.
According to the FBI, Wedding’s organisation was responsible for trafficking multi-tonne quantities of cocaine through Colombia and Mexico.
The FBI also revealed that the product had been distributed across the US and Canada, with the operation utilising cryptocurrency to launder the proceeds and maintain anonymity.
It was further alleged that Wedding had ordered murders in numerous countries. “Responsible for engineering a narco trafficking and narco terrorism program that we have not seen in a long time,” FBI Director Patel said last year.
“You do not get to be a drug dealer and evade the law. Make no mistake about it, Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar,” Patel added. “A modern-day iteration of Joaquín (El Chapo) Guzmán.”
Patel also revealed that more than 35 individuals have been charged thus far in relation to the case, including seven Canadians.
Wedding was allegedly responsible for smuggling 60 tonnes of cocaine into the U.S. from Mexico annually, and stayed under the close protection of a Mexican cartel that provided security.
During a conference last year, where the initial $10 million reward was increased to $15 million, Bondi also offered her thoughts. “He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in this world,” Bondi said.
“He is the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada. Drugs are killing our kids… our friends our relatives and this guy is responsible for a tremendous amount of that horror.
“We will not sit idly by. The justice department will use every tool available to catch these monsters.”
The U.S. Department of the Treasury then released information on Wedding’s closest associates, as officials sought to shut down the organization and locate him.
“Today we’re exposing the network of associates and enablers behind Ryan Wedding – one of the most notorious criminals and narcotraffickers still evading justice,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley.
“Treasury is joining with the FBI and the Department of Justice to cut Wedding and his criminal partners off from the U.S. financial system and help dismantle the network they rely on.
“Our goal is simple: make it difficult for criminals like this to profit from poisoning our communities.”